Nov. 23, 2009

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Several talented athletes will join the Illini swimming and diving team next season, as head coach Sue Novitsky announced the signing of nine swimmers to national letters of intent. The recruiting class includes Andrea Baumgartner (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley H.S.), Elizabeth Bell (Anna, Ill./Anna-Jonesboro Community H.S.), Cara Chuang (Clarksburg, Md./Poolesville H.S.), Jessica Holz (Ellisville, Mo./Lafayette H.S.), Courtney Pope (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport H.S.), Marin Thompson (Jackson, Wis./Germantown H.S.), Alyssa Toland (Mokena, Ill./Lincoln-Way East H.S.), Emily Wilkinson (Westmont, Ill./Downers Grove North H.S.), and Emma Williams (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North H.S.).

"The student-athletes that will join the team for the 2010-2011 season are one of the strongest and deepest groups that we have ever brought in at Illinois," Novitsky said. "The class is a tremendous combination of athletic prowess, strong students and wonderful personalities. We feel that these young ladies can contribute to the team on all fronts: athletic and academic success, great leadership and being exceptional teammates. All of them are coming to Illinois at a high point in their career."

The group is highlighted by an Olympic trials qualifier, six USA Swimming national qualifiers, four NISCA/Speedo Swimming and Diving All-America honorees and six USA Swimming Scholastic All-America selections.

"Coach (Steve) Farnau and I are looking forward to working with them and helping them continue to develop," Novitsky said. "They are all excited to wear the orange and blue and are committed to helping the team take huge steps forward towards our goals."

Andrea Baumgartner
Hometown: Aurora, Ill.
High School: Waubonsie Valley High School
USA Swimming Club: Maverick Swim Club
Main Events: Sprint Freestyle

Illinois high school state qualifier ... Placed 15th in the 50 freestyle and 32nd in 100 freestyle at the 2009 IHSA state championships ... Swam to second place in the 200 medley relay, fifth in the 200 freestyle relay, seventh in the 400 freestyle relay and 11th in the 50 freestyle at the 2008 IHSA state championship ... Three-time NISCA/Speedo Swimming and Diving All- American ... USA Swimming Speedo sectional qualifier ... Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.

Top Times:
50 Freestyle: 24.23
100 Freestyle: 53.18

Coach Novitsky on Andrea: "Andrea is a terrific addition to our sprint group. She has a good training background and has continued to develop during her high school career. In high school, Andrea was a big contributor in relays and we plan to continue to develop that speed at Illinois. Andrea is strong academically and combined with her enthusiasm and competitiveness, she definitely fits the mold of what we look for in our student-athletes."

Elizabeth Bell
Hometown: Anna, Ill.
High School: Anna-Jonesboro Community High School
USA Swimming Club: Saluki Swim Club
Main Events: Sprint Freestyle and Butterfly

Placed first in the 50 freestyle and fourth in the 100 butterfly at the 2009 IHSA state championships ... Secured 10th place in the 50 freestyle and 18th in the 100 butterfly at the 2008 IHSA state championships ... USA Swimming national qualifier ... Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American ... Parents Jill and Bruce Bell both graduated from Illinois.

Top Times:
50 Freestyle: 23.48
100 Freestyle: 51.68
100 Butterfly: 55.22

Coach Novitsky on Elizabeth: "Elizabeth will add an immediate punch to our sprint freestyle and butterfly events. Her time in the 100 butterfly is faster than our current varsity record and her time in the 50 freestyle would rank her in the all-time top 10 at Illinois. Elizabeth is coming off a very successful state meet and has continued to move up the ranks throughout her career. She has natural explosiveness and power off the start that we look forward to continuing to develop during her career at Illinois. In addition to being a strong swimmer, Elizabeth is a fantastic student and ranks first in her high school class."

Cara Chuang
Hometown: Clarksburg, Md.
High School: Poolesville High School
USA Swimming Club: Rockville Montgomery Swim Club
Main Events: Backstroke, Freestyle, Individual Medley

Four-time NISCA/Speedo Swimming and Diving All-American ... Ranked No. 28 in the 100 backstroke in 2008 and No. 32 in 2007... 2008 Olympic team trials qualifier in the 100 backstroke ... USA Swimming national qualifier ... Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.

Top Times:
50 Freestyle: 24.18
100 Freestyle: 51.98
200 Freestyle: 1:51.89
500 Freestyle: 4:59.47
100 Backstroke: 55.14
200 Backstroke: 1:59.48
200 Individual Medley: 2:05.04

Coach Novitsky on Cara: "Cara is a fantastic addition to the team and is one of the highest ranked swimmers that we have ever brought in at Illinois. Her tremendous versatility will make her a possibility up and down the lineup. She comes in with times in three different events that would rank her in the all-time top 10 at Illinois. She has gained valuable experience racing at the highest level and we expect her to continue to build upon that foundation during her career at Illinois in her individual events and on relays. Additionally, Cara is a strong student that brings a lot of enthusiasm and determination to all of her endeavors."

Jessica Holz
Hometown: Ellisville, Mo.
High School: Lafayette High School
USA Swimming Club: Rockwood Swim Club
Main Events: Backstroke, Freestyle

Missouri high school state qualifier ... Placed first in the 400 freestyle relay, third in the 200 freestyle relay and fourth in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke at the 2009 state championships ... Placed second in the 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays, fifth in the 100 freestyle and seventh in the 100 backstroke at the 2008 state championships ... Placed third in the 400 freestyle relay, fourth in the 100 backstroke and sixth in the 100 freestyle at the 2007 state championships... NISCA/Speedo Swimming and Diving All-American ... Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American...Mother, Carolyn Holz, graduated from Illinois.

Top Times:
50 Freestyle: 24.70
100 Freestyle: 51.71
200 Freestyle: 1:53.01
100 Backstroke: 57.79
200 Backstroke: 2:01.89

Coach Novitsky on Jessica: "Jessica is another great addition to the squad and will add to our backstroke and freestyle events. She has gained valuable national-level experience and has an extremely strong kick. We expect her to continue to develop her already impressive range of events. With her current times, Jessica would already be ranked in the all-time top 10 at Illinois in the 200 backstroke. She possesses a strong work ethic and a great personality that is combined with being a fantastic student."

Courtney Pope
Hometown: Homer Glen, Ill.
High School: Lockport High School
USA Swimming Club: Academy Bullets
Main Events: Freestyle

Illinois high school state qualifier ... Placed third in the 200 freestyle and fourth in the 500 freestyle at the 2009 state championships ... USA Swimming national qualifier ... Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.

Top Times:
50 Freestyle: 24.16
100 Freestyle: 51.90
200 Freestyle: 1:51.24
500 Freestyle: 4:56.14
1000 Freestyle: 10:28.22
1650 Freestyle: 16:52.44

Coach Novitsky on Courtney: "Courtney is an awesome addition to our team. She has a fabulous range in her freestyle events from the 50 to the 1650 that will make her another option for our relay events. Her time in the 1650 freestyle would rank her in the all-time top 10 at Illinois. She has continued to move up the ranks throughout her high school career and has gained valuable experience competing at the national level this past summer. Courtney is another great student with a feisty competitiveness that fits the mold of what we look for in our student-athletes at Illinois."

Marin Thompson
Hometown: Jackson, Wis.
High School: Germantown High School
USA Swimming Club: Elmbrook Swim Club
Main Events: Butterfly, Individual Medley, Breaststroke

Wisconsin high school state qualifier ... Placed eighth in the 100 butterfly at the 2009 state championships, sixth in 2008 and 10th in 2007... USA Swimming national qualifier ... Two-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.

Top Times:
100 Butterfly: 56.75
200 Butterfly: 2:04.28
200 Individual Medley: 2:11.83
400 Individual Medley: 4:33.58
200 Breaststroke: 2:24.51

Coach Novitsky on Marin: "We are very excited to have Marin join our team. She is a very vibrant, talented and extremely smart young lady. Marin has continued to improve and has gained experience competing at the national level. She will be a strong addition to our butterfly and individual medley group and we expect her to continue to develop throughout her career. Marin is ranked No. 1 in her high school class and the combination of strong academics and athletics makes her another great addition to wear the orange and blue."

Alyssa Toland
Hometown: Mokena, Ill.
High School: Lincoln-Way East High School
USA Swimming Club: North Aquatics Club
Main Events: Individual Medley, Freestyle

Illinois high school state qualifier ... Placed fifth in the 200 individual medley at the 2009 state championships and 15th in 2007 ... USA Swimming Speedo sectional qualifier.

Top Times:
200 Freestyle: 1:55.76
500 Freestyle: 5:07.75
200 Individual Medley: 2:06.11

Coach Novitsky on Alyssa: "We are extremely happy to have Alyssa join the team at Illinois. She finished up her high school career on a strong note, earning multiple lifetime best times and earned all-state for the first time. Alyssa's untapped potential in a number of strokes and distances is very exciting. We look forward to continuing to develop her range of events and expect her to become a big contributor at Illinois. She is a very strong student and brings a lot of motivation and enthusiasm to the table."

Emily Wilkinson
Hometown: Westmont, Ill.
High School: Downers Grove North High School
USA Swimming Club: Express Swim Team
Main Events: Butterfly, Individual Medley, Freestyle

Illinois high school state qualifier ... Placed 10th in the 200 medley relay at the 2009 state championships and ninth in 2008 ... NISCA/Speedo Swimming and Diving All-American ... USA Swimming Speedo sectional qualifier.

Top Times:
100 Butterfly: 58.52
200 Butterfly: 2:11.06
200 Individual Medley: 2:11.48
500 Freestyle: 5:15.90
1000 Freestyle: 10:41.32

Coach Novitsky on Emily: "Emily is another swimmer that brings with her a wide range of events and strokes. With her versatility, we expect it to allow us even more options in our lineups as she continues to develop and she brings an enormous amount of dedication and focus to her swimming. She has a solid training background that will help her in her career at Illinois. Emily also is a top student that will add to the team's tradition of strong academics."

Emma Williams
Hometown: Naperville, Ill.
High School: Naperville North High School
USA Swimming Club: Academy Bullets
Main Events: Butterfly, Individual Medley

Illinois high school state qualifier ... Placed 13th in the 100 butterfly at the 2009 state championships ... Secured seventh place in the 100 butterfly and 14th in the 200 individual medley at the 2008 state championships ... Placed 17th in the 100 butterfly in 2007 ... USA Swimming national qualifier.

Top Times:
100 Butterfly: 57.01
200 Butterfly: 2.02.69
200 Individual Medley: 2:08.99
400 Individual Medley: 4:29.54

Coach Novitsky on Emma: "Emma is a terrific addition to our butterfly group. Her time in the 200 butterfly would rank her in the all-time top 10 at Illinois. With the training group around her at Illinois, we feel that she can continue to develop her butterfly events, as well as her individual medley. Emma has competed at the national level and understands the commitment it takes to get to that high level. She is a bright young lady with a great personality that will make her a terrific teammate at Illinois."